Stressed With Your Kids’ Virtual Classes? Here’s How to Cope
Instead of seeing it as a burden, it can be a fun way to connect with your kids while learning something new for yourself
For those of us who don’t have kids yet, it might seem a strange notion to be stressed out about virtual classes. After all, they’re staying safe at home during the craziness of the pandemic, and they’re getting some virtual schooling, which is honestly a fantastic alternative.
It means that everyone gets to be on the same page, and your children are probably also getting all of the educational materials they need through email, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, or other platforms.
However, many of the things above tend only to apply when your children are old enough to take care of their online classes and leave you to your devices. When it comes to parents who have kids that are still much too young to try to deal with everything on their own, then you have a problem.
I’ve had friends complain to me about online classes for their children — yes, my friends are old, yes I’m kind of old — mainly because of all their added responsibilities on top of things.
Not only do we have to deal with work responsibilities to make sure that food’s getting on the table, but we also have to play the part of the teacher’s assistant to ensure that our kids are getting the most out of their classes.
Getting used to the change
This is pretty much par for the course when it comes to life, but it always seems like there’s something that forces you into a new kind of normal.
We could say the same about the pandemic, as it has pretty much forced everyone to live differently. But hey, we’re still alive and kicking, and we’ll make it through this!
The same thing goes when it comes to trying to juggle your schedule with the schedule of your children. “Uncertainty rules the day. And in uncertain times, when so much is beyond our control, we have to return to the basics, to what we can control”, writes CEO, executive coach and corporate wellness consultant Nez Beheshti.
More time with your kids can be a blessing and not a curse
The problem with tackling virtual classes with your children every weekday is that it can feel like a burden. Being forced to do something you would rather not do can be problematic, and no-one wants to feel like they are being forced into anything.
Your children — for as much as they try to be sometimes — are not a burden at the end of the day. Your kids are there to elevate and improve how you live life, and it can often change your perspective for the better.
The realization that your kids aren’t a burden could very well change the way you cope. Instead of seeing it as a burden, you see it as a fun new way to connect with your kids while simultaneously learning something new with their online classes.
Treat yourself (and your kids) to something good
It can be troublesome to try to cope with the virtual classes and your work at the same time, and it can also be stressful for your children. They’re undoubtedly not used to this crazy situation, and it’s probably quite scary to have to stay home and deal with classes, not knowing when things could ever go back to normal.
“No day or moment will be the same as any other. Yet, seeking out and actively choosing novelty helps us feel more alive, engaged, and attuned to ourselves and others,” writes clinical psychologist and author Lisa Firestone Ph.D, who says it’s important to break routines sometimes.
“ Moving through a series of [habitual behaviors] can set us on autopilot throughout our day, which can lead us to lose touch with ourselves and our immediate experience — be it sensory or emotional.”
Why not enjoy a movie together? You can set up a schedule for when you aren’t so busy and just huddle up together and enjoy a movie with some nice hot cocoa (with marshmallows).
It would also be a good time to reconnect with friends, even if you might not be able to physically do so. “Embrace the new normal as a reason to reach out to friends, classmates, and co-workers you have lost touch with. They likely have the same urge to reconnect”, writes Beheshti.
While this year is undoubtedly turbulent and filled with new challenges, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t up to the challenge. It can be amazing how much of a difference a simple change in perspective can make.
